In this second year of the pandemic, it may seem to some that there is little to be thankful for. We are not among them. The adversities and challenges of the pandemic have shown us the strength of our institutions, the grit of our New Jersey citizenry and the importance of core human values.

We are thankful for our state and federal judicial systems. Under the leadership of Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and Chief Judge Freda Wolfson, our courts made a quick pivot to virtual proceedings in the lockdown. The administration of justice slowed but did not stop. Working in uncharted territory, all efforts were made to protect both the rights and the health of litigants, lawyers and judges, and those efforts succeeded to the fullest extent possible. Now that the worst of the pandemic is hopefully behind us, our Supreme Court on Nov. 18 issued a blueprint for the future of proceedings in our state court system, integrating the lessons learned from mandatory virtual proceedings with traditional in-person appearances to develop an efficient, effective judicial system of the future.